Supercover Insurace keep on moving the goalposts

[SPFO]

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster, so take it easy with me please.

 

 

I have a claim with these clowns at the moment for a lost mobile phone which has been going on for over 2 weeks now. They are continually placing new hurdles in my path after after assuring me all they needed was the last lot of info I provided.

 

First off they would not accept the proof of purchase Voda provided. They assured me all they needed was proof I purchased the phone from Voda, my name, address, and IMEI. I got Voda to email this directly, which Supercover accepted. They then wanted to do a conference call to confirm I barred it within the timeframe, which Voda confirmed.

 

The very rude woman on the phone then started asking Voda about my last call, text, data from that IMEI. I objected as she never said she was going to pry into my account further. Turns out, the last call from that IMEI was 2 weeks prior to losing the phone due to working away, and having a work phone. Supercover do not have this info as yet by the way.

 

Now, do they need this kind of info, and can they use the fact I had not made a call for 2 weeks on from that IMEI against me? After all, I have provided proof of purcase, and Voda confirmed it was barred asap, and the police do not give out crime numbers. So I feel I have satisfied all they require to proceed with my claim.

 

I have been a loyal customer without a claim for 18 months, and it really annoys me when they try their best to wriggle out of it.

 

Thanks in advance.

[unclebulgaria67]

I suspect that these mobile Insurers receive so many fraudulent claims, that they view almost all claims fraudulent, unless they prove otherwise. They therefore make claimants have to go through several hurdles, before they settle the claims. I am not sure refusing to allow disclosure about the use of the phone was a good idea, as I suspect that under the terms of your policy, it says that you must cooperate with Insurers by providing information they may reasonably require. The last usage of the phone is relevant to helping with the claim.

 

I would suggest that you cooperate with the Insurers claims handlers, by providing any information that they wish to have. If you have a question about why they need the information, you can ask, but do so in a way that does not sound like you have something to hide.

[SPFO]

I will instruct Voda to email the details in the morning. It is not such an unreasonable request, it was just the attitude of the woman on the phone that annoyed me and made me object to her asking for more than she originally requested. I find the majority of the Supercover agents the same to be honest. Very rude, with crap customer service.

 

So I did not make a call from that IMEI for 2 weeks, on what basis can they refuse to replace my phone because of that? In this day and age with large screen mobiles, 2 phones is quite common due to the risk of damage. One as a work phone, one as a best. My work phone is a no frills Nokia, and is simpler to use than my show phone, maybe the reason I have been using than more of late.

[unclebulgaria67]

If you had not used the phone for two weeks, this might suggest the loss was earlier than reported. Without reading the policy terms, I would not know whether there is an opportunity for the Insurers to decline the claim. Have a read of the policy terms regarding making a claim.

 

I would have thought that you would have had the phone switched on at some point during the two weeks. The Insurers can check with Voda, when the phone was last connected to their network. If the phone was not switched on for two weeks and there is a requirement to report a loss with x amount of time, I am not sure they would accept your explanation about having another phone. It would sound a bit odd, for you to not check a phone for two weeks, unless you had the calls/texts forwarded to your work phone or had left the phone at home in error for two weeks while you were away. If the phone was not swtiched on you will need to provide a good explanation for this.

[SPFO]

I may have confused you. I swap the sim card between the two handsets. I use one for work, and one for best. I have been working a lot, and have also actually been working away recently so had not really used the 'best' phone all that much, well, not until I actually lost it.

 

The terms are here, you may have to join the link yourself as my post count is not high enough: 2u.co.uk/mobile-phone-insurance/insurance_terms_and_conditions.php

 

So you think they are trying to give the excuse I never lost my phone on that date? In reality, they cannot prove otherwise, and should not be able to refuse a claim on an assumption that suits them.

 

I appreciate your input, thanks.

Edited July 15, 2011 by SPFO

[unclebulgaria67]

How did you lose the phone?

 

Being that this was your best phone and you were not using it, you would have kept it in a safe place ! You would have had no need to carry it around with you, as you had another phone. You could say you carried it around, just in case you needed to swap over, but you did not do that during a two week period, when the phone was not used.

 

Remember that the claims handlers deal with hundreds of claims every week. They are trained in spotting unusual aspects of claims, by asking probing questions.

[SPFO]

Okay, so it was in a safe place, in my works locker. I take it out and swap the sim into it, the battery is flat so it does not switch on. I then lose it! Just one of those situations that they can not prove either way. So do they have to give me the benefit of the doubt as you are a paying customer?

 

It really has been a game with them. Every step of the way has been hard. They even asked what police station I reported it to, even though the local police force no longer deal with loss claim at all. If I had told them that they would have caught me out on 'not reporting to the police station' in the policy, even though you do not need to.

[unclebulgaria67]

Sounds like a theft rather than loss. Did you report the theft/loss to your employers ?

 

I am not disputing the merits of your claim, just probing. If the Insurers don't believe the information they are being given, they can decline the claim. You would then have to go down the complaints route with them and then if not resolved, go to the FOS. In Insurance polices there are always terms and conditions that Insurers can use, in order to decline claims.

[SPFO]

I understand your probing. It is helping me tighten up and prepare for their probing. I can see how they can catch many people out on the simplest of detail.

 

I last saw the phone on route to the shop by my workplace. It is on the way here I think I lost the phone...

[unclebulgaria67]

I understand your probing. It is helping me tighten up and prepare for their probing. I can see how they can catch many people out on the simplest of detail.

 

I last saw the phone on route to the shop by my workplace. It is on the way here I think I lost the phone...

 

So you say you lost the phone on route between the shop and workplace. Being that you were not using this phone at the time, where did you keep the phone on your person. Was it in a pocket or a bag ? Where do you normally keep it, when not in use. People are creatures of habit, so they will generally keep it in the same place.

 

You have to be consistent with what you say to Insurers. Even during this thread with mild probing, one minute the loss occured at work and then later you think it occured outside of the workplace.

 

Suggest that you have a good think about what you have already told them and if they probe the claim anymore, that you are consistent with whatever you tell them.

[SPFO]

I left work with the phone after spotting it in my locker, it is there I leave it safely, with my wallet and luchbox. The details they have are that it was in my front right pocket on the way to the shops, from work.

Edited July 15, 2011 by SPFO

[unclebulgaria67]

I left work with the phone after spotting it in my locker, it is there I leave it safely, with my wallet and luchbox. The details they have are that it was in my front right pocket on the way to the shops, from work.

 

The Insurers may carry out a cognitive interview with you just to probe the loss event. You need to have a really good think about what you did on the day of the loss.

 

If they conduct such an interview, you just have to be calm and answer the questions asked. Do not be defensive in any way e.g. why are you asking me that. Just answer the question as it is put.

[carlbcfc]

I may write out a statement of the events leading up to when I discovered the loss so I can be clear of my facts incase of this interview. I wonder if they employ rude people just to make you angry. I suspect I may have lost it around the shop where I would have had my hand in my pocket, and I did retrace my steps. It did not help the phone battery being dead. It is useless to me or anybody who may find it anyway as it is barred.

 

I gave them the vaguest info when I claimed. I basically said the phone was in my front right pocket when I went to the shop on my work break, and when I returned I never had it. I retraced my steps. That is all.